December 31, 2014

Things have a tendency to move pretty quickly around here – almost too quickly to catch up and fully appreciate what has transpired. On a day-to-day basis, we concern ourselves with concrete items such as wins or losses, how many points a team puts up, or whether the season culminates in championship glory.

Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the small, but significant individual moments. Rest assured that it’s not our intent to paint with broad strokes.

December 30th

December 31, 2014

By

TERRY NAU

CUMBERLAND – For a sport like wrestling that prides itself on physicality and toughness, there sure were a lot of softer emotions like love, honor and respect on display Tuesday night at The Wellness Center when Cumberland High recorded the 500th dual-meet victory in program history, all under one man, head coach Steve Gordon.

December 29, 2014

SMITHFIELD — A trio of sophomores led Cumberland High to a 70-40 victory over Burrillville – not to mention a divisional title within the annual Rhode Island Board of Girls Basketball Officials/Smithfield Boosters Holiday Tournament – at Smithfield High’s gym on Monday night.

December 28th

December 28, 2014

CUMBERLAND — It was only a holiday tournament championship game. Another non-leaguer in December. Both Woonsocket and Tolman High will have bigger fish to fry during the league seasons that begin in earnest next week. Still, the intensity and emotion displayed during Saturday night’s Holiday Classic title contest was worthy of a playoff game in March.

December 26th

December 26, 2014

CUMBERLAND – Tolman High made short work of Lincoln in the opening game of the 42nd annual Holiday Classic hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland/Lincoln.

The Tigers converted eight three-point field goals during a 61-38 triumph that put them into tonight’s championship game against Woonsocket, which dispatched host Cumberland in Friday’s nightcap, 84-55.

December 26, 2014

As is always the case following a Christmas Day full of gift-giving, unwrapping, eating and celebrating, area coaches and their teams will attempt to get back into the competitive mode this weekend at a variety of holiday tournaments.

December 24th

December 24, 2014

PAWTUCKET — Parents, family members and friends hailed the conquering heroines in style at the Darlington Braves' bingo hall last Thursday night.

As the announcer introduced each member of the Braves' 15-and-under competitive cheerleading squad, those in the crowd hooted and hollered loudly, and for good reason: The previous Saturday afternoon at the Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Fla., head coach Nicole Dupont's contingent landed itself the grand championship at the American Youth Cheer National Championships.

December 24, 2014

December 23rd

December 23, 2014

CUMBERLAND — In his 48th year of involvement with the Cumberland High wrestling squad, 47 of them as the head coach, Steve Gordon has seen his fair share of ebbs and flows -- that is, outstanding seniors moving on to college, as a result having to rely on newcomers to fill those empty slots.

In others, the loss was minimal, and that plentiful experience led his crew to four state titles and other solid team placements.

December 22nd

December 23, 2014

Rocco Baldelli wasn’t seeking a switch in assignments with the Tampa Bay Rays. In his own words, the Woonsocket native and Bishop Hendricken alumnus “was very much into the work he was doing” as a key and trusted figurehead in the front office.

December 22, 2014

By

TERRY NAU

PAWTUCKET – These are good times for the Tolman High basketball program. The Tigers went 13-5 last season and qualified for the state open tournament. They return most of the key players from that squad and have enhanced this year’s team with a couple of useful new parts.

Coach Mike Kayata’s team is 3-0 so far, winning by an average of 18 points per game. The Tigers were tested on Friday night by a solid North Smithfield team that they eventually wore down on their way to a 91-66 victory.

December 19th

December 20, 2014

LINCOLN – Friday night marked the homecoming of Davies Tech senior tri-captain/forward Waleska Kelly, and she sure made the most of it.

Kelly, who had suffered a stroke while playing in a summer high school basketball league in July of 2013, had been granted a waiver by Rhode Island Interscholastic League officials to play a fifth year, and admitted being excited about returning to compete.

December 16th

December 17, 2014

CUMBERLAND â€” Junior tri-captain Kayleigh Canavan expected to swim rather well in Cumberland Highâ€™s Division I season opener against Smithfield on Tuesday afternoon, but what she accomplished, frankly, threw her for a loop.

Canavan not only manufactured two of her best times ever while capturing the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke, but she also mustered a superb 50 breaststroke leg in the 200 medley relay to pace her Clippers to an easier-than-expected 55-38 triumph over the Sentinels at the Aquatic Center.

December 15th

December 16, 2014

NORTH SMITHFIELD â€” After playing horribly at the tail end of the initial half and the first part of the second, Lincoln High manufactured an 19-3 flurry over the final 7:29 to edge North Smithfield, 49-45, in a R.I. Injury Fund opener on Monday night.

Thanks to senior tri-captain Devon Deragonâ€™s pretty fast-break lay-in at that juncture of the game, the Northmen seemed destined to reign with a 42-30 cushion. But the Lions took advantage of several miscues by the hosts to move to 1-0.

December 15, 2014

December 12th

December 13, 2014

By

TERRY NAU

PAWTUCKET – It is not yet mid-December and high school basketball coaches have hardly begun to shuffle the deck in search of winning hands.

“We’re looking for players,” St. Raphael Academy coach Tom Sorrentine said after finding at least one during Friday night’s 57-48 victory over Shea at Alumni Hall in an Injury Fund contest that doesn’t count in the standings.

Sophomore Peter Wilson came off the bench to lead the Saints with 21 points. Wilson is one of four players Sorrentine is rotating at the point guard position.

December 12, 2014

PAWTUCKET – Providence Country Day will get the chance to officially defend its Lynch Tournament crown after racing past Central Falls, 78-47, Thursday night. Former St. Raphael star Alex Holloway had an effective 14 points while junior Joe McNamara led all scorers with 17 points on three 3-pointers.
David DePina paced Central Falls with 10 points.

PCD will take on Woonsocket in what figures to be an entertaining championship game on Saturday night. C.F. will face St. Raphael in the consolation contest.